What was supposed to be a resurgent season for Penn State football has instead become a cautionary tale of organizational dysfunction and unexpectedly poor performance. The Nittany Lions entered 2025 as the No. 2-ranked team in the preseason AP poll with returning Heisman contender Drew Allar at quarterback, a dynamic running back duo, and championship aspirations. Eight weeks and numerous crises later, Penn State sits at 3-5 overall and an abysmal 0-5 in Big Ten conference play—a historic collapse by any measure.
The Dream Start That Gave False Hope
Penn State began the 2025 season exactly as expected, demolishing Nevada (46-11), FIU (34-0), and Villanova (52-6) to establish what appeared to be a championship-caliber program. The Nittany Lions averaged 44 points per game and seemed ready to contend for a Big Ten title. The preseason hype appeared justified, at least temporarily.
But that optimistic narrative began to unravel immediately upon entering conference play. A 30-24 double-overtime loss to Oregon in late September should have served as a warning sign, but few could have predicted the implosion that followed.
The Catalyst: Drew Allar’s Season-Ending Injury
On October 11, 2025, against Northwestern, Penn State’s season took a catastrophic turn when senior quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending leg injury in the closing minutes of a 22-21 home loss. Allar, a three-year starter and legitimate NFL prospect, had been performing at an elite level through six games—1,100 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions with a 64.8% completion percentage despite the team’s offensive struggles in Big Ten play.
The loss of their star quarterback would have been devastating for any program. But for Penn State in October 2025, it represented something far more troubling: evidence of deeper organizational problems that extended beyond one player’s injury.
The Coaching Change and Leadership Crisis
The day after losing to Northwestern and suffering Allar’s injury, Penn State made the stunning decision to fire long-time head coach James Franklin, who had led the program since 2014 with a 104-45 record. Despite the difficult circumstances, Franklin’s removal signaled that Penn State’s administration believed the problems went far beyond a single quarterback injury.
Associate head coach Terry Smith, a former Penn State wide receiver and longtime assistant, was named interim head coach. While Smith has admirable credentials—including previous success as a high school head coach in Pennsylvania—he was thrust into an impossible situation: trying to stabilize a crumbling program with a redshirt freshman backup quarterback while maintaining chemistry and focus for the remainder of a season in freefall.
Ethan Grunkemeyer’s Trial by Fire
The quarterback transition fell to Ethan Grunkemeyer, a redshirt freshman from Dublin, Ohio. After appearing in one game in relief against Nevada and completing a touchdown pass, Grunkemeyer made his first career start against Iowa on October 18, completing 15 of 28 passes for 93 yards with 2 interceptions in a 25-24 loss.
Through six game appearances (two starts), Grunkemeyer has completed 42 of 67 passes (62.7%) for 346 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. While the numbers don’t appear catastrophic, the context matters: he’s playing for a program in crisis, in a losing system, with limited protection and fewer weapons around him than an elite college program should provide.
His second start came at Ohio Stadium against the nation’s No. 1-ranked Buckeyes on November 1, where he completed 19 of 28 for 148 yards and one interception. Despite the statistical improvement, Penn State fell 38-14, with the offense managing only 287 total yards of offense against a relentless Ohio State defense.
The Running Back Duo: Victims of Circumstance
Penn State’s vaunted running back tandem of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton deserves sympathy for their circumstances. These are elite college football running backs—the type of caliber that wins games and attracts national attention.
Kaytron Allen through 8 games has 631 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 103 carries (6.1 yards per carry). In a normal season, these would be All-Big Ten caliber numbers. Instead, Allen is grinding away in a losing effort, with little opportunity to establish dominance because Penn State falls behind early and must abandon the run game.
Nicholas Singleton has rushed for 296 yards and 7 touchdowns on 84 carries (3.5 yards per carry) with 14 receptions for 110 yards. Singleton showed brilliance early in the season with 5 touchdowns in the first three games, but has seen his production decline significantly during the Big Ten’s five-game losing streak. He’s averaging just 10.5 carries over the last five games as the offense struggles.
Together, they form one of the nation’s best running back duos—but it matters little when the quarterback is struggling to make plays and the team’s defense is surrendering points at an alarming rate.
Defensive Struggles and Coordinator Changes
The coaching change brought unexpected defensive personnel moves as well. Penn State hired Jim Knowles, the former Ohio State defensive coordinator, in the offseason to replace the departed Abdul Carter and improve a struggling defense. Knowles’ hire initially appeared controversial—bringing a rival school’s defensive architect to Happy Valley.
However, Knowles’ defensive unit has been unable to stem the tide of offensive explosions from opposing teams. Against Ohio State on November 1, the Buckeyes’ offense operated with near-perfect precision, particularly in the second half. The 14-14 halftime score represented Penn State’s best defensive performance of the Big Ten slate, but the second-half collapse was complete.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Historic Collapse
The statistics tell the story of Penn State’s unprecedented 2025 decline:
- Preseason Ranking: No. 2
- Current Record: 3-5 (0-5 Big Ten)
- Non-Conference Record: 3-0
- Conference Record: 0-5
- PPG Allowed in Big Ten: 34.0 (well above acceptable standards)
- Road Losses: Four consecutive road losses (Oregon, UCLA, Iowa, Ohio State)
Penn State is now on pace to miss a bowl game for the first time since 2016 if they don’t win two of their final four games. The remaining schedule includes No. 2 Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers—with Indiana being the toughest matchup imaginable for a struggling program.
Looking Ahead: The Path Forward
Penn State faces a critical November. The team must navigate games against No. 2 Indiana (Nov. 8), Michigan State (Nov. 15), Nebraska (Nov. 22), and Rutgers (Nov. 29). Bowl eligibility requires two wins from this quartet. Beating Indiana appears nearly impossible for a 3-5 team, but Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers represent more realistic targets.
Beyond November, Penn State faces critical offseason decisions:
- Head Coaching Search: The administration must determine whether to retain Terry Smith or conduct a national search for a permanent head coach.
- Quarterback Development: Ethan Grunkemeyer’s growth will be crucial regardless of who coaches the position moving forward.
- Roster Stability: Key players like Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton will face temptation from the transfer portal if the team doesn’t show signs of improvement.
- Identity Reconstruction: Penn State must reclaim the identity and organizational competence that characterized the program during its best years.
Conclusion
Penn State’s 2025 season represents a stunning fall from preseason prominence. From No. 2 in August to potential bowl game ineligibility in November, the Nittany Lions have experienced a collapse that will be studied as a cautionary tale for years to come.
The factors contributing to this crisis—quarterback injuries, coaching instability, defensive struggles, and an inability to execute in conference play—represent a perfect storm of adversity. Yet they also represent a challenge that the program and interim head coach Terry Smith must address immediately.
Penn State’s football tradition remains strong, and the talent on the roster remains evident. But 2025 has become a season about survival and redemption rather than national championships. The Nittany Lions must find a way to win games with a redshirt freshman quarterback against elite conference competition—and that’s an extraordinarily difficult task.
For a program that entered the season with national championship aspirations, November 2025 represents a humbling reality check.